According to Craig Hubley, it is a moral order, a means by which one balances and trades off moral values. This view is an application of the theory of Rushworth Kidder? that ethics is the balancing of right versus right?, not "right vs. wrong" - that if a choice did not involve a loss of rights on both sides it would not be an ethical choice. For instance, a deal that is mutually beneficial might be made as an economic choice.

Typically an ethic involves putting rights in a priority order based on some understanding of what will do-least-harm? to life in general. A good example is Isaac Asimov?'s Three Laws of Robotics?, a theoretical ethical code for robot?s that requires them to put human life above obeying humans, and obeying humans above their own survival.

In law, Supreme Court of Canada? rulings often state clearly which Canadian Charter of Rights? provisions overrule which others. Thus the ethic of the entire country, it's social contract, is made clear by continuous improvement? and successfive refinement.

In its final form this involved ordering treaties in international law? to determine which obligations were highest priority and which lower. This could serve as a global ethic? that already has been agreed, simply ordering the treaties, not changing them.

To determine your own ethic can be surprisingly simple. Taking a list of values? or desirable traits or habits?, can you actually say which, in general, rank above which? For instance can you put the political virtues in some order? Or the Six Principles? The Ten Key Values?